Cartridge-magazine loader



Nov. 22, 1927. 1,650,263

R. G. cLYNE ET Al.

CARTRIDGE MAGAZINE LOADER Filed April l. 1927 Cil Patented Nov. 22, 192.7.

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AVRBERT G. CLYNE ANDVGEQRGE B. WILLAMS, 0F .ALTON, ILLNOIS, ASSIGNORS T0 WESTERN CARTRIDGE COMPANY, OF EAST ALTON, ILLNOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

oAnTninGE-Maeazinn LOADER.

. Application filed April 1,

This invention pertains to a device for charging magazine tubes with rifle cartridges or the like, from which the magazine of a i'ile may be loa-ded.

It is the practice in shooting galleries to use repeating magazine rifles, in which a number of cartridges is loaded into the magazine preparatory to firing. For convenience in loading the rifles, the cartridges are tiret loaded into a series ot' magazine tubes, each tube containing the proper number of cartridges for loading a rifle. A supply of these charged tubes may be kept ready so that riiles may be rapidly loaded when active tirino' is going on, so as to save the .time of loading the magazines by hand.

VThe charging of the separate magazine tubes. has in the past been carried on by hand, and, on account'ot the slow and tedious 'work involved, has been a considerable .item ofeXpense in the operation of a shooting gallery.

One oli the objects of t-liis invention is to provide a device by means of which the niagazine tubes may be charged rapidly and conveniently, vithout the necessity ot' iingering each cartridge.

Another object is to provide such a device into which the cartridges may be loaded promiscuously and which will orient the same and charge them in oriented position into the magazine tube. Y

Another object is to provide such a device which is simple and cheap in construction and which will be easy to handle and durable in service.

VFurther objects will appear from the tol- "lowing description, taken in connection with "the accompanying drawing, in whichi Figure l is a plan view of a charging device embodying this invention; Y

Fiffure 2 is a vertical section taken on line Figure 3 is. a detail section on lineB-B ot' l Figure l, showing the releasing mechanism.

rtation thereon, in any suitable manner, is a 1927. Serial No. 180,136.

guide 4. This guide is shown as generally conical in shape but may, of course, have other suitable and convenient form, but is provided with an outer peripheral edge 5, forming a raceway, as will presently be more fully described. Mounted tor rotation on the spindle 3 'is a hub 6 carrying a spider 7, which in turn carries a hopper 8. The hopper 8 is generally bowl shaped, being turned inwardly at the bottom and provided with an l ner annular edge 9 opposite the edge 5 and forming a raceway, matching the raceway 5, so as to provide therebetween an annular aperture of constant width. The width of kthis aperture is adjusted to such a value that hopper 8, some of them will fall through the aperture and assume a vertical position suspended therein with their points down. lit, now, the hopper 8 is rotated, other cartridges will be swept across the aperture'by the relative movement of the hopper and the guideY 4, so that those cartridges which are positioned at the bottoni ot the bowl will eventually be turned to suoli position that 'their points will drop through the aperture and they will become suspended in like manner.V Y-

s the hopper moves around, the suspended cartridges will be rolled along the raceway 5A Y At a certain point in the raceway 5 an enlarged notch or recess l0 is formed therein.

This recess is large enough to permit the head of a cartridge to pass therethrough. Accordingly, as the bowl is rotated and the cartridges are rolled along the raceway 5, as each cartridge arrives l.at the recess 10, it will ybe permitted to drop therethrough and thus be released from the hopper. A. guard or bridge ll is fixed to the guide 4 in such away as to extend over the aperture 10, allowino' su'liicient clearance for the head of a cartric ge to pass therebeneath, This guard vdrop into the receptacle.

20 may b e provided in order that the operp ator may tell when the receptacle is l'ull.

or bridge 11 prevents any cartridge from going through the apertura@Y 10v head first, supports the pressure of the cartridges piled thereabove in the hopper and protects the cartridge to be released from such pressure "as it passes to positionV `at the recess 10. Ac-

coidingly, just-before each cartridge is released, it is freed from any interfering pressure of the accumulated cartridges in the hopper. This insui'es a free fall of the cartridge through the'recess 10. stop 12 may also be ixed totheguard 11 below the aperti'ire and in such a position as to prevent a cartridge from overshooting rnd passing the'notch 10.

' Mounted on the support 1 is a holder 13 adapted to receive a receptacle. in the 'form oi" a magazine tube'14. The holder 13 is provided with a vertical bore into which the receptacle ltfinay be inserted and the upper part owhich maybe provided with a flared funnel tube 15, so as to provide a tunnel into which the cartridges may' drop.l The holder 13 may be provided with a retaining latch or spring 16 provided with a keeper 17V adapted to enter a suitable notch 18 in the receptacle 14- in order to retain the same'in the holder. A bowl 19 may be formed on the upper part of Lthe holder 13 to receive'any overflow of cartridges from the funnel 15.

In the operation of this device, a receptacle 1e is inserted in the holder 13.. A supply of cartridges isplaced in the hopper and rthe latter rotated slowly. The relative movement between the vhopper andthe guide 4; causes the'cartridges to become suspended in the aperture,- as previously explained. VThe suspended cartridges are moved along the aperture to the releasing point at the recess 10, wheie each cartridge is released, dropping through said recess and into the receptacle 14. "When the required number of cartridges has been delivered to the `receptaele, the rotation of. the hopper is vstopped and the receptacle withdrawn. As the receptaele iswithdrawn, the keeper 17 snaps into engagement with the last cartridge above the receptacle 1li and retains thelatter until a new receptacleis inserted,V When such insertion takes place, the keeper I1"( is moved out oit engagement with lthe cartridges in the 'holder 13 and the latter are permitted to A sight opening It willbe seen that this invention' provides a simpleand effective deviceby Vmeans ot" which magazine tubes may be quickly charged so as to be ready for loading the rifles.

. wherethey are released and :dropped into the receptacle. As' the cartridge approaches The relative movement of the hopper andthe guidey causes the cartridges to bethe point of release, the pressure of the mass of cartridges above it in the hopper is removed therefrom so as to permit it to drop freely. u Y

It is obvious that various changes may be made inthe details of construction Without departing from the spirit ot this invention; it is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described the invention, what claimed is:

1. A device for charging cartridge magazine tubes, comprising, a hopper, a guide therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, and means for moving said hopper and said guide relatively adaptedl to cause cartridges in said hopper to become oriented in said aperture.'v

2. A device for charging cartridge magarine tubes, comprising,` aY hopper,V a guidey therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for moving said hopper and said guide relatively adapted to cause cartridggges said hopper to become oriented in said aperture, and means for releasing the oriented cartridges.

8. A device for charging cartridge maga- 'zine tubes, comprising, 'a hopper, a guide therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for moving said hopper and said guide relatively adaptedfto cause cartridges in said hopper to"beceme oriented in said aperture, means 'for releasing the oriented cartridges, a receptacle holder adjacent said releasingmeans, and vmeans for feeding a released cartridge to said receptacle.

4. VA device for charging cart-ridge magazine tubes, comprising, a hopper, a guide therein, anv annular aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for rotating said' hopper and said guide relatively7 adapted to cause'a cartridge in said hopper to become oriented in said aperture, means for suspending the oriented cartridge 'in said aperture, and means ior releasing the suspended cartrilge. l f

5'. A device for charging cartridge maga- Zine tubes, comprising, a 'hoppeiga guide therein, an annular aperture betiveenisaid iio hopper and saidy 'guida'means for rotating sai d hopper and said guide relatively adapted to cause a cartridge in said'hopper Vto become oriented in said. aperture, means engaging anenlarged portionthereof for suspending the oriented cart-ridge in said aperture, and

kmeans for releasing the suspended cartridge.V

VG. vA device for charging 'cartridge magazine tubes, comprising, a hopper, a guide therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for moving'said izo l for releasing the oriented cartridge, a receptacle holder adjacent said releasing means, means for feeding a released cartridge to said receptacle, and means for releasably retaining a receptacle in said holder.

7. A device for charging cartridge magazine tubes, comprising, a hopper, a guide therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for moving said hopper and said guide relatively adapted to cause cartridges in said hopper to become oriented in said aperture, means for releasing the oriented cartridge, a receptacle holder adjacent said releasing means, means for feeding a released cartridge to said receptacle, and means for releasably retaining a receptacle in said holder adapted to retain the cartridges when the receptacle removed.

8. A device for charging cart-ridge magazine tubes, comprising, a hopper having an annular raceway, a guide therewithin having a raceway matching said first raceway ant forming therewith an annular aperture adapted to receive a cartridge to be suspended therein, means for rotating said raceways relatively adapted to orient a cartridge in said hopper and cause the same to become suspended therein, and incansfor releasing the suspended cartridge.

`9. A device for charging cartridge maga- Zine tubes, comprising, a hopper, a guide therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for moving said hopper and said guide relativelyadapted to cause cartridges in said hopper to become oriented in said aperture, means for releasing the oriented cartridges, and a guard for said releasing means.

l0. `A device for charging cartridge magazine tubes, comprising, a hopper, a guide therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for moving said hopper and said guide relatively adapted to cause cartridges in said hopper to become oriented in said aperture, and supporting means adapted to protect the cartridge to be released from pressure of other cartridges in said hopper.

l1. A device for charging cartridge magazine tubes, comprising, a hopper, a guide therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for moving said hopper and said guide relatively adapted to cause cartridges in said hopper to become oriented in said aperture, a releasing aperture connected with said first aperture, and guard over said releasing aperture.

l2. A device for charging cartridge maga-- zine tubes, comprising, a hopper, a guide therein, an aperture between said hopper and said guide, means for moving said hopper and said guide relatively adapt-ed to cause cartridges in said hopper to become oriented in said aperture, means for releasing the oriented cartridge, and a stop adapted to prevent a cartridge passing the releasing point.

13. A device for charging cartridge maga- Zine tubes, comprising, a rotatable hopper,

a circular guide therein, said hopper having an opening adapted to form with said guide a slot through which the body of a cartridge may pass but which will retain the head thereof, and means on said guide adapted to effect the release of a cartridge from said slot.

14. A device for charging cartridge maga- Zine tubes, comprising, a rotatable hopper,

a circular guide therein, said hopper having an opening adapted to form with said guide a slot through which the body of a cartridge may pass but which will retain the head thereof, a receiver below said slot, and means on said guide adapted to effect the release of a cartridge from said slot, so as to drop into said receiver.

l5. A device for charging cartridge magazine tubes, comprising, a rotatable hopper, a circular guide therein, said hopper having an opening adapted to form with said guide a slot through which the body of a cartridge may pass but which will retain the head thereof, a receiver below said slot, means on said guide adapted to effect the release of a cartridge from said slot so as to drop into said receiver, and means for mounting a magazine tube in said receiver.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signatures this 16th day of March, 1927.

ROBERT Gr. CLYNE. GEORGE B. VJILLIAMS. 

